Shown in FIG. 12 is a central cross-sectional view of one example of an electrical connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 30270/76 which includes a connector housing 1 made of electrically-insulative material and is formed as a generally rectangular shape having a first engaging projection 6 extending downwardly from an upper wall 2. A second engaging projection 7 is formed extending upwardly from a bottom wall 3 in opposed relationship with the engaging projection 6. Also, formed downwardly on an inner surface 11 of the upper wall 2 with a certain slope is an arm 10 having a horizontal end portion where a curved section 12 and a step section 13 are formed.
Inserted in the above connector housing 1 toward the left direction in the drawing is an electrical contact 18 to which a conductor 17 is connected. That is, the contact 18 is slid along the outer surface of the curved section 12 against the resiliency of the arm 10 which returns to its initial position by the spring action of the arm 10 itself at the position where the back end of the upper surface 19 of the contact 18 passes the curved section 12; then, the back end of the contact 18 engages the step section 13 of the arm 10. A section 14 of the contact 18 is designed to have essentially the same longitudinal dimension as the distance between the first engaging projection 6 and the step section 13 of the arm 10 to fit the section 14 between the projection 6 and the arm 10, thereby restricting horizontal movement (right and left directions in the drawing) of the contact 18. On the other hand, the second engaging projection 7 on the lower wall abuts against a coupling projection 15 at the lower tip of the contact 18 to restrict forward movement of the lower end of the contact 18.
Support and retention means of the contact 18 within the connector housing 1 of a conventional electrical connector in the opposite direction to the insertion of such contact 18 is formed by the arm 10 extending from the inner surface of the upper wall 2 of the connector housing. To assure proper spring force of the arm 10, a space is provided between the tip of the arm 10 and the inner surface 11. This increases the eight of the connector housing 1, thereby making it very difficult to miniaturize such electrical connector. This is one of the problems to be solved by this invention.